Thursday, 17 December 2015

Victoria Gate, the new shopping complex due to open Spring 2016 in Leeds, is not exactly the sort of project I would tend to associate food banks and healthy living schemes. Their developers Hammerson however have backed a local Leeds project called Zest Health for Life, a project that offers support and opportunities for people in disadvantaged areas. One of the main aims of ZHfL is to reduce health inequalities, something that comes hand in hand with healthy eating and sadly these days' food banks.

Thursday, 10 December 2015

I am a big fan of afternoon tea, I always have been, what's not to love about cake, scones and tea? When the tearoom boom happened a couple of years ago I was writing about afternoon tea almost every other week, especially when I moved to Saltaire and tearooms appeared to be the main option on the dining scene. In recent times tearooms seem to be in decline and we've seen the closure of a few rooms of tea, one of my favourites being The Marvellous Tearoom owned by The Marvellous Tea Dance Company (who by the way are still in the top 10 of most viewed posts on my blog, it seems a lot of us miss them.)

Monday, 7 December 2015

The long awaited Ox Club in Headrow House has finally opened and it's everything you wanted it to be. From the guys that brought you the best burgers in town, the finest pizza slices and award winning steamed buns, the team from Belgrave present to Leeds their first restaurant.

Ox Club is a grill restaurant with small plates and big plans. The menu is separated in to your usually starters/nibbles, mains (larger plates from the grill), sides (smaller plates) and desserts. We were advised to order a few things from the grill to share and a couple of small plates too. This combination plus some nibbles and a dessert left us satisfied and not crying out in pain from stomach over-expansion, although this may be something that befalls us in the future now having had our first taste of what is on offer.

It's probably unusual for a food blogger to review a bowling alley, they are not particularly famed for offering the highest of good to gobble produce. The offerings are more often than not lacklustre, greasy, cooked up by spotty teenagers who (let's be honest) don't give a flying f**k about the food or the job that their doing they just want their cash at the end of the day to whirl back in to the company as they try and get the highest score on their favourite arcade game. I think I have even frequented a bowling alley where the food offering was a Wimpy. A Wimpy, do they still even exist? The connotations of eating in a alley aren't great either with the drifting smell of sweaty feet from the overused bowling shoes and powdered substances floating in the air as they try and dispel the smells from the shoes, an asthmatics nightmare.

Sunday, 6 December 2015

The owner of White's Deli, a former research company owner, has taken on their second venture in to the food scene in Headingley with The Cat's Pyjamas. Alison, the owner, prior to White's Deli had never owned or ran a cafe but her bounding success and her new found passionate for the food and catering scene has led her to take on something a little more challenging, an Indian street food and craft ale joint.

The words 'Indian street food and craft ale' conjure up one place in most Leodians minds, Bundobust, their popularity and just generally being adored by all in Leeds means that The Cat's Pjs are rather unfortunately going to have to live with everyone comparing them against each other.

Saturday, 5 December 2015

I've been raving about Pieminister since they opened, directing people who are looking for a hearty meal their way. Heck I've even bought their pies from Waitrose. I revisit a lot of places and it's usually because something bad has happened or because so much as has changed since I last wrote about them last, or both. I guess you could say this falls in to the latter category.

Friday, 4 December 2015

Most of the burger joints in Leeds have had their Santa thinking hat on for the last month in preparation for their own versions of the Christmas Burger. This year Meatliquor have also jumped on the bandwagon and gone all out with a full Christmas menu which they're calling the XXXmas menu, because as we know all know by now, Meatliquor don't do things in halves.